Trevecca gets thumbs-up for new athletic conference

Trevecca and five other schools received approval this week from the NCAA to form a new conference, effective September 1st.

The Great Midwest Athletic Conference will be home to Trevecca Nazarene University (Nashville, Tennessee), Cedarville University (Cedarville, Ohio), Central State University (Wilberforce, Ohio), Kentucky Wesleyan College (Owensboro Kentucky), Urbana University (Urbana, Ohio), and Ursuline College (Pepper Pike, Ohio).

NCAA officials plan to add more schools to the conference in the future. The ideal would be to expand to 12 schools in the next two years, said Mark Elliott, Trevecca athletic director.

“This is another great step forward for the city of Nashville and for Trevecca Nazarene University. Trevecca will be the premier DII school for the Middle Tennessee area” Trevecca President Dan Boone said in a NCAA press release. “ As we build the southern half of the GMAC, I anticipate other area universities expressing interest.”

Joining a conference was a huge part of Trevecca’s journey to becoming a Division II school.

Trevecca considered joining other conferences including the Peach Belt, the Southern Atlantic Conference, but it was difficult to find a conference that wasn’t focused on football and in close proximity to Trevecca.

One of the biggest benefits of joining the GMAC is the proximity of competing schools, Elliott said.

The schools will play each other in a conference schedule starting next year and will have their own tournament, but it will be at least two more years before they are eligible for NCAA tournament play because of NCAA regulations.

Elliott will join the other schools’ in an effort to continue growing the conference over the next two years.